Comrades in Arms, Part 1 (TV series episode)
Comrades in Arms, Part 1 was the 135th episode of the CBS-TV series M*A*S*H. The episode, which was the 13th episode of Season 6, was co-directed by Burt Metcalfe and Alan Alda, and written by Alda. It originally aired on December 6, 1977. Plot synopsis Hawkeye and Margaret are sent to the 8063rd to demonstrate new surgical techniques, but they soon discover the 8063rd had to suddenly bug-out, their jeep breaks down and is stolen by a band of North Koreans, and they seek shelter in a bombed-out hut. Full episode summary Col. Potter tells his doctors that the 8063rd wants to see a demonstration of the 4077th's arterial transplant procedure, and since it was Hawkeye who has performed more of them, he's assigned to go. Hawkeye also gets to pick a nurse to go with him, but Margaret picks herself, to keep Hawkeye from treating the nursing staff "like a harem." Just before they leave, Margaret gets a letter from Donald Penobscott, which seems to upset her greatly. She's surly and short-tempered during the whole trip to the 8063rd, and she has no time for Hawkeye's joking around. Things get even worse when they arrive at the 8063rd, only to find they have bugged out. The Chinese and the North Koreans started getting too close, so the whole camp packed up and left before they had a chance to call the 4077th and tell them not to send Hawkeye and Margaret. On the way back home, bombs start to fall, and they get thrown off their course. Then the jeep breaks down, and Margaret is aghast that Hawkeye has no idea how to fix it. They hide in the brush when they hear some North Koreans approaching, and watch helplessly as the four soldiers fix the jeep, get it going, and drive off. Lost in enemy territory, Hawkeye and Margaret wander around and find a small, abandoned hut. Margaret is temporarily impressed when Hawkeye explains the logic of staying in the hut using actual military protocol, which he chalks up to having seen the (mythical) movie Abbott & Costello Meet Hitler. More bombs start to fall, causing part of the hut to collapse. Hawkeye takes a piece of sharp wood in the back of his leg, and he screams as Margaret removes it. Back at the 4077th, Potter and B.J. are trying desperately to get some of the higher-ups to send out some search planes to look for Hawkeye and Margaret, but due to a combination of stupidity and incompetence, it takes forever just to get some of the brass on the phone. Hours pass, and night falls, leaving Hawkeye and Margaret still stuck in their hut. They talk, and Margaret reveals what's upsetting her: the letter from her husband was written to - and meant for - another woman named Darlene. It's gentle and romantic, and on top of that, it mentions Margaret as "a hard worker" and "sturdy", underscoring just how little she means to her husband. Hawkeye tries to comfort her, but Margaret insists she's fine (although she does down most of Hawkeye'e expensive Japanese scotch). They go to sleep on other sides of the tent, but in the middle of the night bombs start to fall again. Margaret breaks into hysterical panic, and Hawkeye tries to calm her down. They embrace, look into each other's eyes...and share a passionate kiss. To be continued! Research notes/Fun facts Anomaly: At the start of the episode, Col. Potter tells the surgeons about the 8063rd's request as Hawkeye and B.J. are in the shower (and Charles waits his turn). Outside, (apparently all) the nurses are waiting for their turns to shower, which seems odd, since in every other episode mentioning/showing showers, the Nurses' have their own. External links *[http://www.tv.com/shows/mash/comrades-in-arms-part-1-43334/ M*A*S*H episode Comrades in Arms: Part 1 at TV.com] *[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0638277/ M*A*S*H episode Comrades in Arms: Part 1 at the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)] Category:Season 6 episodes